Choudhary Lal Singh joins Congress

JAMMU — Former Minister and President of Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Choudhary Lal Singh on Wednesday joined the Congress party at All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi and is all set to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary constituency.

He was welcomed in the party by AICC Chief Spokesman Pawan Khera, AICC General Secretary and J&K Incharge Bharatsin Soalnki, PCC President Vikar Rasool Wani, co-incharge J&K Manoj Yadav, NSUI national president Neeraj Kundan and others.

After joining the Congress party, Choudhary Lal Singh asked the party leaders and workers to unite to win these elections. “Whenever I have contested any elections, my party has formed the government. I don’t know how but I think it comes straight away from the heavens,” he said while addressing the media after the joining, as per the news agency KNO.

“In 2002, our party formed the government in Jammu and Kashmir when I had won the Assembly elections. After that, when BJP gave the slogan of Shining India in 2004, I won Lok Sabha elections and the Congress party formed the government at the Centre. Everybody should keep this in mind and in advance, we all should be united,” Singh said, in his own style.

Lal Singh said that fighting elections in Jammu and Kashmir is a tough job and he knows it very well. “I have faced three deadly attacks but escaped unhurt. I know how tough it is to fight elections in J&K and you all should respect us,” he added.

He expressed his displeasure on changing his candidature during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when the party had given the mandate to Ghulam Nabi Azad (who lost to Dr Jitendra Singh of BJP). “You all were witness to that and even cried,” he added.

Preferring Azad over Singh during the 2014 elections became the reason for him to leave the grand-old party and he jumped ship and joined BJP. He successfully contested the 2014 Assembly elections in J&K and became the minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government.

Thanking the Congress party, Lal Singh said that the future belongs to young people and that all the old people will die. “Rahul Gandhi is young and he will surely become the Prime Minister of the country. Whenever I see these young people around (pointing towards Neeraj Kundan and Shanawaz Choudhary), I tell them you are the future,” he added.

Welcoming him into the party fold, PCC President Vikar Rasool Wani said that Choudhary Lal Singh has always worked for the downtrodden and poor people and has emerged as a strong leader. “His joining is a welcome step and we welcome him,” he added.

The two-time Member Parliament (MP) from Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat, Singh’s joining Congress party will give a huge boost to the grand-old party from this seat where Minister of State (MoS) in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh is contesting on BJP’s ticket.

Choudhary Lal Singh’s candidature will make this contest on the Udhampur-Doda seat interesting as Singh has his own base in his home district Kathua and the Congress party enjoys a good reputation in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts of this constituency.

With his entry, there will be a direct contest between Choudhary Lal Singh and Jitendra Singh whereas the Democratic Progress Azad Party’s (DPAP) candidate and former MLA from Inderwal, Ghulam Muhammad Saroori will play a major role as being a native of Kishtwar district, he is expected to get votes from Chenab valley.

Jitendra Singh is also a two-time MP from this seat and is considered a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will be facing a strong heat as the contest will be tough.

This seat is all set to go for polls in the first phase on April 19 and the counting of votes will be on June 4.